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Eriophyoid mites from Qinghai Province, northwestern China were studied herein. Up to now, only six species have been reported from Qinghai Province. In field surveys, 17 eriophyoid mite species were collected, among which nine species were found new to science. The new species and their host plants are listed as follows: Acaphyllisa tuberculumae sp. n. on Populus sp. (Salicaceae); Proiectus xiningensis sp. n. on Pinus sp. (Pinaceae); Phyllocoptes beishaniensis sp. n. on Spiraea mongolica Maxim. (Rosaceae); Tetra pruniana sp. n. on Prunus tomentosa Thunb. (Rosaceae) Rupr. (Berberidaceae); Tetra pyriana sp. n. on Pyrus calleryana Decne. (Rosaceae); Tetra simonia sp. n. on Populus simonii Carr. (Salicaceae); Diptacus berberinus sp. n. on Berberis amurensis Rupr. (Berberidaceae); Diptacus mengdaensis sp. n. on Lonicera elisae Franch. (Caprifoliaceae); Rhyncaphytoptus spinus sp. n. on Lonicera rupicola Hook. f. et Thoms. (Caprifoliaceae). Aculops ulmi Hong & Xue, 2005 was re-described.

The western flower thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande), is an invasive species and the most economically important pest within the insect order Thysanoptera. For a better understanding of the genetic makeup and migration patterns of F. occidentalis throughout the world, we characterized 18 novel polymorphic EST-derived microsatellites. The mutational mechanism of these EST-SSRs was also investigated to facilitate the selection of appropriate combinations of markers for population genetic studies. Genetic diversity of these novel markers was assessed in 96 individuals from three populations in China (Harbin, Dali, and Guiyang). The results showed that all these 18 loci were highly polymorphic; the number of alleles ranged from 2 to 15, with an average of 5.50 alleles per locus. The observed (HO) and expected (HE) heterozygosities ranged from 0.072 to 0.707 and 0.089 to 0.851, respectively. Furthermore, only two locus/population combinations (WFT144 in Dali and WFT50 in Guiyang) significantly deviated from Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium (HWE). Pairwise FST analysis showed a low but significant differentiation (0.026 < FST < 0.032) among all three pairwise population comparisons. Sequence analysis of alleles per locus revealed a complex mutational pattern of these EST-SSRs. Thus, these EST-SSRs are useful markers but greater attention should be paid to the mutational characteristics of these microsatellites when they are used in population genetic studies.

Nine eriophyoid mites, including two new species and five new records, from Iran are described and illustrated. They are Aceria acroptiloni Shevchenko & Kacalev, 1974, rec. n. on Rhaponticum repens (L.) Hidalgo (Asteraceae); Aceria anthocoptes (Nalepa, 1892), rec. n. on Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop. (Asteraceae); Aceria lactucae (Canestrini, 1893), rec. n. on Lactuca virosa L. (Asteraceae); Aceria pulicaris sp. n. on Pulicaria gnaphalodes (Vent.) Boiss. (Asteraceae); Aceria tosichella Keifer, 1969 on Setaria viridis (L.) Beauv. (Poaceae); Eriophyes rotundae Mohanasundaram, 1983 on Cyperus rotundus L. (Cyperaceae); Aculops maroccensis Keifer, 1972, rec. n. on Mentha piperita L. (Lamiaceae); Aculus medicager sp. n. on Medicago sativa L. (Leguminosae); Tetra lycopersici Xue & Hong, 2005, rec. n. on Solanum nigrum L. (Solanaceae).

The western flower thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande), is an invasive species and the most economically important pest within the insect order Thysanoptera. F. occidentalis, which is endemic to North America, was initially detected in Kunming in southwestern China in 2000 and since then it has rapidly invaded several other localities in China where it has greatly damaged greenhouse vegetables and ornamental crops. Controlling this invasive pest in China requires an understanding of its genetic makeup and migration patterns. Using the mitochondrial COI gene and 10 microsatellites, eight of which were newly isolated and are highly polymorphic, we investigated the genetic structure and the routes of range expansion of 14 F. occidentalis populations in China. Both the mitochondrial and microsatellite data revealed that the genetic diversity of F. occidentalis of the Chinese populations is lower than that in its native range. Two previously reported cryptic species (or ecotypes) were found in the study. The divergence in the mitochondrial COI of two Chinese cryptic species (or ecotypes) was about 3.3% but they cannot be distinguished by nuclear markers. Hybridization might produce such substantial mitochondrial-nuclear discordance. Furthermore, we found low genetic differentiation (global F(ST) = 0.043, P

Large single crystals of optimally doped Eu(Fe0.91Rh0.09)2As2 were grown by the self-flux method. Resistivity and magnetization measurements show that the compound undergoes a superconducting transition at 19.6 K, followed by a ferromagnetic ordering of the Eu2+ moments at 16.8 K. The upper critical fields at zero temperature are estimated to be 12.5 T and 15.1 T for fields along the ab plane and the c-axis, respectively. Moreover, anisotropy reversal of the upper critical field is observed near the magnetic ordering temperature, which may be related to the anisotropic magnetization of Eu ions and the demagnetization effect. Both ferromagnetic and superconducting features are displayed by the magnetic susceptibility and peculiar isothermal magnetization loop. Our combined results unambiguously demonstrate the coexistence of ferromagnetism and superconductivity in the title compound. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polyurea is widely used in marine anti-corrosion engineering because it has the physical advantages of high tensile strength, strong adhesion, excellent waterproof and anti-corrosion performance as well as mature construction technology. In this paper, the origin, characteristics and development direction of polyurea coating technology were first introduced, and then the applications of polyurea coating in the fields of concrete protection and metal protection in marine atmospheric environment and seawater environment in recent years were summarized, respectively. Aiming at the problems of coating performance degradation and failure caused by complex environmental factors such as temperature, corrosive medium erosion and collision during service, the research progress of new polyurea coatings was discussed, including the research on improving the performance of coatings such as corrosion resistance, wetting and hardness with organic and inorganic nanoparticles as fillers, and the research on new polyurea microcapsule coatings that could respond intelligently and repair microcracks independently, and the research on the processing and preparation technology of new self-healing materials such as electrospinning. Finally, the shortcomings and challenges of the current research on polyurea coating were pointed out, and the future research trend of polyurea coating in marine environment was prospected.

Objective To obtain the relevant information of human long non-coding RNA lnc-DC by bioinformatical analysis and to confirm its expression and the regulator concerned in the skin. Methods The expression of lnc-DC in human normal tissues was downloaded from NCBI and confirmed by FISH;Transcription factors bind to lnc-DC promoter were predicted by JASPAR and confirmed by siRNA and qPCR; The proteins potential bind to lnc-DC were predicted by catRAPID; lnc-DC binding proteins were analyzed by Enrichr. Results lnc-DC was highly expressed in esophagus and skin; Transcription factors like GATA3 bound to lnc-DC promoter; RNA binding proteins U2AF2,HNRDL,TIAR,PTBP1 and TIA1 potential bound to lnc-DC. Conclusions The bioinformatics online tools may predict transcription regulators and molecular mechanisms of lnc-DC, indicating the important role of GATA3 regulated lnc-DC in the maintenance of normal skin function.

Wheat stem rust was once the most destructive plant disease, but it has been largely controlled. However, to prevent future problems, the ongoing development of resistant wheat varieties requires knowledge of the changing virulence patterns for Pgt virulence of the fungus that causes wheat stem rust and the detection of new races. Surveys were conducted from 2013-2014 to determine the races of the Pgt present in China. Low levels of stem rust infections were found in China during this investigation and 11 Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici (Pgt) samples were obtained. In addition, 22 Pgt samples collected from the alternate host (Berberis) were obtained and have been reported for the first time. Fifty-three isolates were obtained from all samples. Four race groups, including 13 physiological races, were identified. They included the most prevalent races, 34C3MTGQM and 34C6MRGQM, with 13.2% predominance, followed by 34C0MRGQM at 11.3%. Six new races that were virulent against the resistance genes, Sr5 + Sr11, were found for the first time in China, namely 34C0MRGQM, 34C3MTGQM, 34C3MKGQM, 34C3MKGSM, 34C6MTGSM, and 34C6MRGQM, with a predominance of 11.3, 13.2, 9.4, 9.4, 1.9, and 13.2%, respectively. Most of the genes studied were ineffective against one or more of the tested isolates, except Sr9e, Sr21, Sr26, Sr31, Sr33, Sr38, Sr47, and SrTt3. Genes Sr35, SrTmp, Sr30, Sr37, Sr17, and Sr36 were effective in 92.5, 86.8, 84.9, 84.9, 79.3, and 77.4% of the tested isolates, respectively. In contrast, all of the isolates were virulent against Sr6, Sr7b, Sr9a, Sr9b, Sr9d, Sr9g, and SrMcN. Our results indicate that remarkable differences exist among the categories of the races in this study (i.e., their known virulence gene spectra) and the Pgt races reported previously. In addition, the sexual cycle of Pgt may contribute to its diversity in China.

We have synthesized a novel europium bismuth sulfofluoride, Eu3Bi2S4F4, by solid-state reactions in sealed evacuated quartz ampules. The compound crystallizes in a tetragonal lattice (space group 14/mmm, a = 4.077l(l) Å, c = 32.4330(6) A, and Z = 2), in which CaF2-type Eu3F4 layers and NaCl-like BiS2 bilayers stack alternately along the crystallographic c axis. There are two crystallographically distinct Eu sites, Eu(l) and Eu(2) at the WyckofF positions 4e and 2a, respectively. Our bond valence sum calculation, based on the refined structural data, indicates that Eu(l) is essentially divalent; while Eu(2) has an average valence of ~ +2.64(5). This anomalous Eu valence state is further confirmed and supported, respectively, by Mossbauer and magnetization measurements. The Eu3+ components donate electrons into the conduction bands that are mainly composed of Bi 6px and 6py states. Consequently, the material itself shows metallic conduction and superconducts at 1.5 K without extrinsic chemical doping. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Superconductivity (SC) and charge-density wave (CDW) are two contrasting yet relevant collective electronic states, which have received sustained interest for decades. Here, we report that, in a layered europium bismuth sulfofluoride, EuBiS2F, a CDW-like transition occurs at 280 K, below which SC emerges at 0.3 K, without any extrinsic doping. The Eu ions were found to exhibit an anomalously temperature-independent mixed valence of about +2.2, associated with the formation of a possible dynamic CDW. The mixed valence of Eu gives rise to self electron doping into the conduction bands mainly consisting of the in-plane Bi6p states, which in turn brings about the CDW and SC. In particular, the electronic specific-heat coefficient is enhanced by ∼50 times, owing to the significant hybridizations between E u4/ and Bi6p electrons, as verified by band-structure calculations. Thus EuBiS2F manifests itself as an unprecedented material that simultaneously accommodates SC, CDW, and ƒ-electron valence instability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As one of the most widely used organophosphate insecticides in vegetable production, phoxim (C(12)H(15)N(2)O(3)PS) is often found as residues in crops and soils and thus poses a potential threat to public health and environment. Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi may make a contribution to the decrease of organophosphate residues in crops and/or the degradation in soils, but such effects remain unknown.A greenhouse pot experiment studied the influence of AM fungi and phoxim application on the growth of carrot and green onion, and phoxim concentrations in the two vegetables and their soil media. Treatments included three AM fungal inoculations with Glomus intraradices BEG 141, G. mosseae BEG 167, and a nonmycorrhizal control, and four phoxim application rates (0, 200, 400, 800 mg l(-1), while 400 mg l(-1) rate is the recommended dose in the vegetable production system). Carrot and green onion were grown in a greenhouse for 130 d and 150 d. Phoxim solution (100 ml) was poured into each pot around the roots 14d before plant harvest. Results showed that mycorrhizal colonization was higher than 70%, and phoxim application inhibited AM colonization on carrot but not on green onion. Compared with the nonmycorrhizal controls, both shoot and root fresh weights of these two vegetables were significantly increased by AM inoculations irrespective of phoxim application rates. Phoxim concentrations in shoots, roots and soils were increased with the increase of phoxim application rate, but significantly decreased by the AM inoculations. Soil phosphatase activity was enhanced by both AM inocula, but not affected by phoxim application rate. In general, G. intraradices BEG 141 had more pronounced effects than G. mosseae BEG 167 on the increase of fresh weight production in both carrot and green onion, and the decrease of phoxim concentrations in plants and soils.Our results indicate a promising potential of AM fungi for enhancing vegetable production and reducing organophosphorus pesticide residues in plant tissues and their growth media, as well as for the phytoremediation of organophosphorus pesticide-contaminated soils.

We have performed an isovalent substitution study in a layered titanium oxypnictide system BaTi2(Sb1-xBix)2O (0 ⩽ x ⩽ 0.40) by measurements of x-ray diffraction, electrical resistivity, and magnetic susceptibility. The parent compound BaTi2Sb2O is confirmed to exhibit superconductivity at 1.5 K as well as charge- or spin-density wave (CDW/SDW) ordering below 55 K. With the partial substitution of Sb by Bi, the lattice parameters a, c, and c/a all increase monotonically, indicating a negative chemical pressure and lattice distortion for the (super)conducting Ti2Sb2O layers. Bi doping elevates the superconducting transition temperature to its maximum Tc=3.7 K at x=0.17, and then Tc decreases gradually with further Bi doping. A metal-to-nonmetal transition takes place around x=0.3, and superconductivity at ~1 K survives on the nonmetal side. The CDW/SDW anomaly, in comparison, is rapidly suppressed by Bi doping, and vanishes for x ⩾ 0.17. The results are discussed in terms of negative chemical pressure and the disorder effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Primexine deposition and plasma membrane undulation are the initial steps of pollen wall formation. However, little is known about the genes involved in this important biological process. Here, we report a novel gene, NO PRIMEXINE AND PLASMA MEMBRANE UNDULATION (NPU), which functions in the early stage of pollen wall development in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliann). Loss of NPU function causes male sterility due to a defect in callose synthesis and sporopollenin deposition, resulting in disrupted pollen in npu mutants. Transmission electronic microscopy observation demonstrated that primexine deposition and plasma membrane undulation are completely absent in the npu mutants. NPU encodes a membrane protein with two transmembrane domains and one intracellular domain. In situ hybridization analysis revealed that NPU is strongly expressed in microspores and the tapetum during the tetrad stage. All these results together indicate that NPU plays a vital role in primexine deposition and plasma membrane undulation during early pollen wall development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]